Celebrate local volunteers – 2026 Volunteer Service Awards nominations open

OLYMPIA-- Serve Washington is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Washington State Volunteer Service Awards. Nominate your volunteer heroes by January 5, 2026.

Volunteers transform communities through acts of service both big and small. Nominees could be neighbors helping neighbors, hospital or food-bank volunteers, disaster preparedness teams, national service members or anyone who gave time, care or skills, either formally or informally, in 2025.

Serve Washington will honor one individual and one volunteer group or program in each of nine regions:

• Northwest (Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, Island)
• North Puget Sound (King, Snohomish)
• South Puget Sound (Mason, Thurston, Pierce, Lewis)
• Peninsula/Coastal (Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Kitsap)
• Southwest (Cowlitz, Skamania, Clark, Wahkiakum)
• South Central (Benton, Franklin, Kittitas, Klickitat, Walla Walla, Yakima)
• Southeast (Adams, Whitman, Garfield, Columbia, Asotin)
• Northeast (Ferry, Stevens, Pend Orielle, Lincoln, Spokane)
• North Central (Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Grant)

“Volunteers power our communities with selfless dedication and make lasting impact,” said Trish Almond, executive director of Serve Washington. “The Volunteer Service Awards are a way to recognize that dedication and to give both individuals and groups the spotlight they deserve.”

Award recipients will be announced in April 2026, coinciding with Global Volunteer Month and National Volunteer Week, and recognized at local community-based events.

How to nominate

1. Review the guidelines on eligibility and selection
2. Visit servewashington.wa.gov and complete the online nomination form by January 5, 2026

Need help? The Serve Washington website includes a Q&A about the awards, and a video with guidance on how to nominate will be added soon. For questions, email servewa@ofm.wa.gov.